


dusk till dawn

by warofthefoxes



Series: bm au [3]
Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Black Mirror Episode: s04e04 Hang the DJ, M/M, Prequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-28
Updated: 2018-12-28
Packaged: 2019-09-21 07:43:15
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17039624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/warofthefoxes/pseuds/warofthefoxes
Summary: It's pairing day. Donghyuck meets Mark for the very first time.





	dusk till dawn

**Author's Note:**

> a prequel to the screenplay fic ['i want the sunset to stay' ](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16304720)aka mark and hyuck's infamous first meeting ,, 
> 
> i've been asked if ill ever write a non-screenplay version of the full fic and i won't! but here's a little something for the year end ... 
> 
> as this is a prequel, you can read this first or even without reading the full fic. au notes are still [here ](https://twitter.com/Ieekram/status/1056938441043173376?s=19) if anyone needs it. as a base, all u have to know is that relationships in this universe have expiry dates.

Donghyuck’s coach sees the notification first before Donghyuck even finds out he’s been matched again. 

Donghyuck was running on his last drills for the day when Yuta calls for him, the white circular device that seems to be blinking its angry aqua blue color present on his coach’s hand. He’s ecstatic to be out of practice sooner - the last bits always taking its toll on him worse than any part of the day, but not so about the system’s established algorithm for him. 

“Seems very important. It was vibrating as hell on the bleachers.” Yuta says, throwing the device for him to catch. 

Donghyuck catches it easily, shuffling the device on one hand as he wipes his sweat with a wry smile. He excuses himself as he turns to move to a safer distance, swiping the device open. 

_”You have a new match!”_

He grimaces at the announcement. “Again? Coach it’s barely been a day!” His voice a little too loud that Yuta actually hears him and Donghyuck has to reassure him it’s not _him_ he’s talking about but his _Coach_ , the system one. The one supposed to help him through all the ‘dating’ until he finds his Ultimate Compatible Other. Although he’s not exactly sure how to rate its job so far. 

His current match is someone two years older and they’re meeting elsewhere that isn’t the hub for once.

_”The system is inviting you and your match to the Pairing Day of one of the paired couples in the system tonight. You will be meeting each other from there instead. I’ll send in the exact location right now.”_

He tries to get hopeful at that. Something different for once, he thinks, it’s what he needs. He pockets the device as he hears Yuta call the team over for the day’s last huddle before they’re let out of practice. His luck on high today that Yuta makes him go instead of cleaning up the field like usual. 

“The system calls.” Yuta simply tells him. 

Right. Donghyuck mentally agrees. It does.

🌆

Donghyuck does meet his new match as soon as he got to the location sent to him by his Coach but he loses him in the party immediately after they’ve arrived and checked their expiry.

Not that Donghyuck is bothered. The guy had told him in earnest that he had to see _someone_ , sounding too desperate when he asked so Donghyuck just lets him be. It was only for the day anyway and he’s here more to see how the Pairing Day goes if he’s honest. He’s heard about it from Doyoung on the day he was talked to about enrolling into the system. Some party that the system sets up for the ‘ultimately paired couple’ before they ‘graduate’ from the system and spend the rest of their lives together. He doesn’t know what he’s looking for if he’s asked. Maybe here to take a hint if he’d know if the ‘ultimately paired couple’ looks as if they’re really meant for each other like the system so promises. 

He walks over to the where the food are displayed after he and his match separates. He went straight from practice and didn’t have enough time to grab anything for snacks before going here so he thinks he might as well indulge on the free food. Food in the hub aren’t exactly filling and way pass what he considers as affordable. 

A young couple - two females, which he guesses are the stars of the night, walks over to the stage then, gathering everyone’s attention as they make their glasses of wine sound with a fork. Donghyuck looks at them long, observing.

The party’s set-up is simple as he takes in the whole place now from where stands, zoning out and letting the speech of the couple come and go through his ears without retaining any of it. They’re in an open space within the woods at the back of the hub, a small pink makeshift stage where the couple currently is standing, has the system’s logo and tagline printed all over the backdrop at the center of the small stage. The place is lit up with fairy lights and some outdoor lamps to give light to the little crowd of paired couples around, mingling with each other in soft murmurs, smiling up to the paired couple on stage. Lastly, there’s a wide variety of finger food snacks, champagne and orange juice at the back area where Donghyuck is. 

Donghyuck also sees his current match from across the room, talking to that Someone - red haired and definitely older than him, probably someone his current match _matched_ with before. There were rumors about people breaking the rules and choosing their own ‘ultimate matches’ and none of them ended on a good note so far from what he’s heard. Donghyuck tears his gaze away from the two, feeling like he’s intruding. 

“Believe in the system because it does really work!” One of the girls says as a final statement, ending it with a short laugh, happy by the sound of it, happiest if Donghyuck takes it in sight - the way her eyes are crinkling up as she wraps her arms around her ‘ultimate compatible other’, big smiles in both of their faces that he almost wants to call it love when he hears someone scoff at his side. 

He turns his head left and right to find out who it is, landing on a guy about his height, black hair that looks like it hasn’t been styled, big eyes, hand in the middle of throwing a piece of chip to his mouth but stops when he notices Donghyuck’s staring, the side of his lips going up to smirk at him. 

“You believe in that?” the guy asks him, his finger pointing to the couple now slow dancing in the stage, eyes stuck on each other. 

Donghyuck takes another look at the guy then back to the couple before he finally stops at the guy questioning him again. “That’s what the system is supposed to do.” He settles on saying, choosing the safer option. Somehow he didn’t want him to judge if Donghyuck did believe in the system as everyone in there was supposed to. “You don’t?” He follows up a question. 

The other just gives him a shrug, munching on his chips. “It could be random. Who knows.” He adds later on, giving Donghyuck a small smile this time like he’s found something to be fond of. Maybe Donghyuck’s equally messy hair or the way his glass of orange juice is now making his hands wet from the condensation. Who knows? Definitely not him. 

The guy moves closer to him grabbing his orange juice. _So orange juice then._ He thinks to himself. 

“Mark.” The guy introduces himself, extending his hand for him. All the past times Donghyuck has shaken a hand since he got on to the system, it’s with his match’s hand. This is a stranger’s. This is different. 

He takes his hand anyway, watches as Mark, the stranger, morphs his face as he mouths ‘fuck’ once he realizes how cold Donghyuck’s hand had been from holding the glass of orange juice for too long. “Well, what else do you have non-believer?”

🌆

Donghyuck finds himself sitting across the same guy Mark on one of the benches at the back area. They’ve managed to grab a bag of chips and more juice after their brief introduction and have settled on the quieter part of the area.

Mark seems to be familiar with the parties even though he doesn’t really look like the type to, even choosing to munch on his chips but he takes the scene with nonchalance that Donghyuck is easily convinced he should too.. 

“Oh. My match is friendly. Kind of knows everyone so we get invited.” Mark tells him. 

The party has continued after the couple's speech. The couples went around the area building some kind of train, singing along to the music, doing a toast for the newly freed couple like they’re expecting everything will be rainbows after being out of the system. Doyoung had described it more as hard work, a continuous every day one but still better than what he’d had pre-system. Donghyuck couldn’t really say anything about that with his lack of ‘experience’ pre-system. It’s why he had been so convinced into enrolling in the first place. 

“Sounds like a chore huh? Your match.” He asks, maybe a little hoping he’s not alone in that boat, in that feeling. Mark has expressed disbelief so he thinks he -

“Nah, they’re cool.” Mark answers simply. He raises his brow at that because “Then what’s with you scoffing at those cute girls when you’ve been having fun with your match all along!” Realizing too late how whiny that sounds. Realizing too late before Mark smirks at him again like he’s already judged Donghyuck’s whole personality from that one sentence. 

“I like my match fine. I still don’t buy all this system thing though.” 

That’s sounds confusing. Why is he even in the system if he doesn’t believe it? As far as he knows, nothing about it is voluntary. He’s brought himself to the system by choice using a good amount of his savings too. He thinks about the question before bringing it up, causing Mark to scoff at him, almost choking on his chips that Donghyuck has to offer him a glass of juice again. 

Mark brings out his device from his pocket and shakes it in front of his face. “I didn’t choose to be in here. Kind of got forced to. Typical parents wanting the best for their son scenario.” He smiles up to Donghyuck at the last bit before he keeps the device back in his pocket, turning to him midway to ask “How about you? You don’t look like you’re forced but you also seem tired of this shit?” 

_Right._ He always pegged himself as the type of guy not to be in here. Lee Donghyuck was always about finding the one true love on his own like his parents found each other one time in a park while dog walking. It’s old-fashioned, almost ridiculous especially now with the system but Donghyuck is a believer of souls made for one other, that even with all the circumstances, they are meant to find each other back. Until came Doyoung at least.

 _”You think everyone has the time to look for someone to spend the rest of their lives with?”_ Doyoung’s voice ring in his head repeatedly for days, almost giving him nightmares when he sleep that he couldn’t say no to about enrolling. 

“You’re gonna think I’m stupid are you?” He starts but at this point, he doesn’t really care. He probably won’t see Mark after and he kind of needed to talk about _some things_ to someone. Jaemin has been busy and isn’t in the system in the first place. The rest of the soccer team have already found their matches, most of them anyway and have not really interacted with him more than what’s necessary. “I’m a fool who’s in here to find the _one_. I have hopes that this system will give me that.” He continues, glancing at Mark who isn't laughing at him like he thought he would. “Don’t you believe in love?” 

Mark takes his stare away from him back to the party scene. Everyone slow-dancing. Donghyuck could still see the red haired guy his current match was talking to earlier but now with a different guy. 

“I believe that having a partner isn’t a necessity.” Mark says carefully, not really answering him and Donghyuck doesn’t want to prod. He doesn’t think it’s his place to so he thinks of another thing to talk about. 

“What’s with you being so doubtful of the system though? Saying it’s random, spill your theories.” 

Mark laughs at him this time, sounding fond, not really mocking. It’s nice to listen to, Donghyuck thinks belatedly. Mark brings his hand up to his hair and he watches as the other makes it even messier. “I had a long day in the lab today but you’re making it hard for me not to just keep to myself tonight.” 

“Lab?” 

Mark smirks at him again. “I work there.” 

“No way.” 

Mark pushes him his arm this time, their first contact after the handshake. Donghyuck revels at the warmth. “I fit in the lab just right, you’ll see.” 

He lets him get away with the pushing, turns to listen to Mark intently as he begins to tell him about what he thinks the system is doing, how everyone is assigned to a part: like how each pair has a left and right hand and the algorithms are given depending on where you stand. Donghyuck doesn’t really get where Mark’s going with it but there’s so much enthusiasm in the way he’s sharing all these to him that he can’t bring himself to interrupt him and say he’s probably just thinking too much about it. 

“I don’t really like the system’s algorithm of me being passed from one match to another but I still don’t buy your theories lab boy.” 

Mark was about to argue with him about it when they hear the fireworks going off before they actually see them, big and bright in the sky, all in different colours. He feels his device vibrating on his pocket so he takes it out for the first time since the start of the party. 

_”End of the party. Please come find your match.”_

He sees Mark with his device on his hand too. Probably getting the same message. 

“I forgot they have these at the end.” 

Mark gets up from the bench then, walking over to the table to return the chips and juice. He takes it as his cue to do the same. Parties in the system apparently don’t last too long like they do outside of it. That’s lame. 

Mark looks back at him almost with the same face he had when he first saw him, only this time he’s saying something else. He’s telling Donghyuck “If we get paired next time, you’ll see what I’m talking about.” 

He just returns it with a smirk. That’s too brave for Mark to say. Too brash. Like he’s sure it’s going to happen. Like he’s ready to prove Donghyuck wrong. Donghyuck’s almost sure it’s not gonna come. 

“You wish.”

**Author's Note:**

> that's the last fic of the year!!!!! if u have time, i have a little message [here](https://twitter.com/Ieekram/status/1078383647445532672?s=19) for everyone who's read my work(s). i hope for a good and prosperous 2019 to all! ♡♡♡♡♡♡♡


End file.
